In the end, it doesn't matter what color you pick, as long as it matches you skin tone well. However, most manufacturers seem to have other ideas on what nude shoes should look like. You'll notice many pairs revolve around a few colors. These colors are very light pink/orange, cream, beige, tan, pale browns as well as white variations. Just take a quick look at our product list from Javari and you'll get what I'm saying. So the first thing you need to do is ignore the colors that designers use on their nude shoes. This is very important. You will be the one choosing what color best suits your skin tone, not them. As we all have differing skin tones, this may be cream, brown or black. Unfortunately, the shoes made by most brands are within the lighter pink/beige/cream range.
The Difference Between Nude shoes, Beige shoes, Cream shoes etc
You're probably asking yourself, what's the difference between a person that buys nude shoes and a person that buys cream or pale brown shoes? The difference is simple. Women that purchase nude shoes want it to blend in with their skin tone. Women that purchase beige shoes simply like beige shoes and aren't interested in matching it their skin tone. If by some chance they like beige shoes because it matches their skin tone, they're really just buying a pair of nude shoes regardless of its color. Again, a nude shoes is any shoe that blends in well with your skin tone.
The Purpose Of Nude Shoes
Finally, we reach this point, what are the benefits of nude shoes? There are two main benefits. First, it makes you seem taller than you actually are. Secondly, they are great for highlighting whatever you're wearing. But let's examine how they can make you look taller. By blending in well with your skin tone, the eye has a hard time discerning the difference between skin and shoe (Especially from a distance). As such, our eyes see a long unbroken line from the point where your skirt or dress ends to the bottom of the shoe. For all intents and purposes, it ends up looking like part of our leg. This is how the illusion is created. However, this added height isn't really apparent in nude flats, pumps or trainers for obvious reasons. They do however work very well with high heels, platforms and thick wedges. For this reason, most people go with high heel courts/platforms/wedges/ankle boots and other varieties that give you a physical height bonus on top of the illusion.
Some Basic Rules
Choose the right color, I cannot stress this enough. It will make the difference between making or breaking the illusion. Avoid complicated shoes with all sorts of bells and whistles adorning it. You want them to blend in, not stick out. For that reason, avoid all shoe/ankle accessories. We need to deter viewers from focusing on our feet and direct their attention elsewhere. Looking to highlight a great dress, top, cardigan or mini-skirt? These are perfect for the job. While there are many varieties on the market, I feel high heel court shoes perform the job admirably. Court shoes (pumps in North America) are simple, straightforward and sexy footwear to go with. The basic court shoe is low cut with rounded or pointed tips, lacking platforms or any need for straps or buckles. They are the epitome of simplistic beauty and they are my personal choice when shopping for nude shoes. Simple, elegant and sexy (on or off the foot), they should be your first choice if you are unsure what to go with.
